


I'll welcome you home

by InsanityIsFreedom



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bittersweet, Childhood, Childhood Sweethearts, Coming of Age, F/M, Friendship, Hardships, Romance, Spans on several years, Summer, Timeskips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-15 23:46:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 22,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5805010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsanityIsFreedom/pseuds/InsanityIsFreedom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Severus Snape is left to fend for himself every summer. He's used to the empty house and spends most of his time brewing Potions. But one day he comes across Petunia Evans and everything changed...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Summer: part one

**Author's Note:**

> This story was first finished on FF.net, which is why I'm posting all the chapters at once. I started writing around two years ago because I thought there wasn't enough of the Severus/Petunia pairing and so it was mainly written for my own benefit. It became surprisingly popular on FF so I figured I might as well let the AO3 community take a look at it since it's finished. 
> 
> I hope you will like it and will hope to get your reviews on it!

At the start of the summer holidays, the young Severus Snape came back to Spinner’s end to find an empty home. Ever since he had first left for Hogwarts two years ago, his father had made a point to desert the house every time Severus came back for holidays. Not that it bothered the young Slytherin that much. He would rather have the house to himself than to have to deal with a drunk and violent father. Never would he admit to anyone that the empty house he came back to every single time felt just a bit lonely.

The house wasn’t that big. It had a small kitchen-dining room and a sitting room on the first floor, two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second. In the sitting room was the door leading to the tiny garden at the back of the house. The garden hadn’t been cared for since his mother had died and now looked more like a miniature jungle rather than an actual garden.

The black-haired boy lifted the heavy trunk and carried it to the second floor. He dropped it into his bedroom. The room was small and only had the bare minimum in it. Severus being a true Slytherin he wouldn’t let any prized possessions lie around for everyone to see. Therefore he kept most of his things in his trunk and took them with him when he went at Hogwarts. He didn’t have many valuable objects anyway so it didn’t bother him much. Apart from the bed which stood in the centre of the room, there was only a bookcase, which mainly contained his various Potions book.

He had his stack of Potion ingredients and his Potion material in his suitcase. There were empty vials waiting to be used in a box under the bed and the cellar would make an excellent Potions lab. Brewing Potions during your holidays was of course forbidden but the Ministry didn’t have any way of checking for any infractions to this rule. And the last winter, he had managed to create a Vanishing potion which had the same effect as a Vanishing spell, which would enable him to get rid of any failed Potion. He shouldn’t be found out, which was a good thing really since brewing potions was the only exciting thing to do around here.

Abandoning his trunk, he went back down stairs. He walked past the sitting room and into the kitchen. As usual, his father had left some money on the table with a phone number on a bit of paper. The phone number was in case he needed more money to last the summer. Severus knew however that he would not use it unless he was dying of hunger. He hated relying on his alcoholic father. He hated his father.

He went to the fridge and opened it. There was a bottle of milk, a few eggs, sausages, and two carrots. He would need to go shopping tomorrow. At least he had enough to eat for dinner and breakfast. He closed the fridge and walked to the middle of the room. What should he do now? He had two hours before sunset so it wouldn’t be worth it to start brewing a Potion now. The only thing available in the house was the Muggle newspapers his father had left behind. Quite frankly, he didn’t care for anything that happened in the Muggle world, his father’s world.

If he was going to be bored, he might as well be bored outside. The coldness and emptiness of the place made him feel sick. He went to his room and took some Muggle clothes out of his trunk. A few moments later he left the house wearing a pair of black jeans and a plain black tee-shirt. He closed the door and locked it. There used to be wards around the house, but when his mother, the only witch of his family, had died, the wards had disappeared. So he had to use keys like a Muggle to prevent anyone from entering the house.

He walked down Spinner’s End, towards the park where he used to hang out with Lily. She wouldn’t be there, he knew that. And even if she was, she wouldn’t talk to him. They had gotten in a fight at the start of the year. It had all begun with a prank of the Marauders and he had been annoyed when she had laughed with the other Gryffindors. When he talked to her about it, she had said he was being stupid and that he couldn’t take a joke. He’d replied that he could take a joke but not cruel pranks like Potter and his gang liked. An argument had followed during which Lily had insulted the Slytherins and Severus had finally had enough and called her a ‘mudblood’. He wasn’t proud of it, he had to admit that. But he didn’t think it had been wrong of him to have been annoyed. Even so he shouldn’t have called a ‘mudblood’. Not that he was going to apologise. This time Lily had been in the wrong. If someone had to apologise it would be her.

The row had taken place three month ago so he was pretty sure she wouldn’t apologise. He had already resigned himself to the fact that their friendship was lost. Perhaps that was for the best. After all, his Slytherin friends hadn’t liked that he was hanging out with a muggleborn. They considered anyone who wasn’t a pureblood lesser than slime. Severus being a halfblood was already seen pretty badly. He barely made up for it by being the best student at Potions.

He sat on a bench near the small lake. He watched the children playing on the games on the other side of the lake. A few years ago he had played with Lily over there. She had been his best friend at the time and he had thought she would always be. Now that he thought about it they’d grown distant ever since they had been sorted. Was it the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin that robbed off on them? Maybe they had been influenced by their housemates. Or maybe they just weren’t meant to be friends from the start. He would probably never know.


	2. First Summer: part two

Petunia closed the door softly behind her, inhaling the fresh air. Lily had just come back from Hogwarts. Of course, she was happy to see her. She was her sister after all. Not to mention they had been quite close before. Before Lily received her letter. From the time Lily had learned she was a witch, Petunia had felt a distance between them. They were sisters, but they didn’t live in the same world anymore. Lily was a witch, and Petunia was not. She was a…a Muggle, they called it.

Her parents were doting on Lily now that she was back. And wasn’t that normal? They hadn’t seen her in a few months, not like Petunia whom they saw every day. Perhaps, that was why they didn’t treat their two daughters the same way. Still, Petunia felt left out. It wasn’t jealousy. She would just have wanted to be a part, even a very small part, but a part of Lily’s world. So that at least they could have a proper conversation. Whenever Lily talked, it was always about Hogwarts and the magical world; things that Petunia didn’t understand.

The blond girl slowly made her way to the park. She had always liked the place. She liked being able to simply relax and just look at the flowers. She liked the peaceful atmosphere which was sometimes disturbed children laughing or yelling to their friends.

She walked towards the lake but froze as soon as the benches came into her sight. There was a boy there. He had black shoulder-length hair and dark eyes, staring at the lake in front of him. She recognised him immediately. She had seen him with Lily countless times before. Severus, he was called. Now that she thought about it, Lily hadn’t so much as mentioned him ever since she came back. Rather she hadn’t said a word about him for a few months now. Her letters always contained stories of school and there usually were descriptions of what her friends had done or what that prat James Potter had said. Yet, her last letters had been clearly lacking the usual stories about ‘Sev’ as Lily called him. Her parents had been quite happy that she didn’t seem to care about him anymore. They had never liked the boy. Mainly because his father was not the type of people you would want near your children. He was an alcoholic and there had been rumours that he hit his son.

Petunia hadn’t cared. There was no real reason why she would. She had never been close to him. It was always Lily he came to see. Always Lily he talked to. And there was the fact that he had been the one to tell Lily she was a witch. He had told her once, after he had seen her make a flower bloom, even before she had received her Hogwarts letter. Maybe it had been that day that Lily had distanced herself from her sister. Maybe that was why, Petunia saw Severus as the embodiment of the magical world, the world that had taken her sister away from her.

The boy seemed to notice he was being watched and turned his head. His gaze met hers and she knew he had recognised her. She could tell by the sight frown that had appeared on his face. It didn’t stay long though and soon he was back to wearing a blank mask. He didn’t turn his eyes away though and they were left staring at each other, neither of them moving or uttering a word.

It was Petunia who moved first. She wiped the shocked expression from her face and determinedly went to sit by him on the bench. He watched her move with a faint interest and then went back to staring at the lake. Petunia didn’t know why she had done that. She could have just walked away and pretended she didn’t know him. Or she could have just said hello and left. But somehow, she had ended up sitting with him and silently looking at the lake. Well it didn’t matter, she was comfortable with the silence and it was nice having company even if you didn’t talk.

***

He had watched the girl as she sat beside him. He had recognised her of course. He remembered her short blond hair that looked like dried straw and her icy blue eyes. She was Lily’s sister. She had been with Lily when he had first talked to her. He’d never talked to the elder girl though. He couldn’t even remember her name now. Lily called her ‘Tuney’. It was some kind of flower…Petunia, it was Petunia. It was a nice name not as nice as Lily of course, but nice all the same.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. She was thin. Thinner than Lily, somehow it made her look unhealthy. She had an angular face, devoid of any kind of charm. Her eyes were cold. Her lips were thin and set in a tight line. She had a long neck but it didn’t stand out that much thanks to her shoulder length hair. She was wearing plain clothes, a white tee-shirt and blue jeans. She wasn’t wearing any jewellery or perfume. Compared to Lily, she was plain, uninteresting.

He turned his gaze back to the lake and contemplated the dark waters silently. Neither of them said a word but they both felt the comfortable presence of another human being. It surprised him when she got up suddenly. He turned to her with a puzzled expression. She blinked at him as if she was surprised by his reaction.

“It’s nearly dinner time.”

Her voice was different from how he recalled it. It was softer, somehow, than in his memories.

He nodded. Without further inquire, he turned back to his silent staring. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her shifting uncomfortably. She had seemed determined to leave and yet here she was watching with eyes that said she wanted to ask something.

“Are…Aren’t you going to go back home?”

He didn’t turn to her this time. He could feel her stare on him and made sure the blank mask was in place.

“Nobody’s waiting for me.” His voice was calm, but there had been a hard edge to it that hadn’t gone unnoticed.

With a last glance at him, the girl walked away. Her quick footsteps echoing in the silence of the empty park.


	3. First Summer: part three

After eating a slice of bread with jam for his breakfast, Severus got to work. For his first day of vacation he had decided to brew The Draught of Living Death. It was quite an advanced potion and also a dangerous one. Not that he was going to use it of course. The black haired boy walked down the stairs leading to the cellar. He walked to the centre of the room where his cauldron was. He opened his Advanced Potion-Making book, which was normally used by seventh year. He read the recipe.

 

The Draught of Living Death

  1. _Cut up the Sophophorus bean._ The sophophorus bean should be crushed, not cut, to get more juice from it.
  2. _Pour in 250 fl.oz. of water and add 5 oz. of African sea salt to the beaker. Set the beaker aside after all the water has been added. Be very careful not to shake or move the beaker now._
  3. _Leave the water and salt to rest for five minutes._
  4. _Slowly pour all the water into the cauldron._
  5. _With your left hand use the graduated cylinder to obtain 40 fl.oz. of essence of wormwood._
  6. _With your right hand hold the cauldron at a slight angle and pour ten drops (20 fl.oz.) of essence of wormwood._
  7. _Now with your left hand hold the cauldron at a slightly different angle and pour another ten drops of wormwood essence._
  8. _Chop three Valerian roots into small squared pieces. After cutting place it in a beaker with water. Leave it to settle for five minutes. Your potion should now be resembling a smoot blackcurrant-coloured liquid._
  9. _Carefully pour the Sophophorus bean's juice into the cauldron_
  10. _Add seven drops of the reduced liquid from the beaker; make sure there are no traces or fragments of Valerian root._
  11. _Stir the potion ten times clockwise; your potion should now be turning a light shade of lilac._
  12. _With your right hand stir the potion anti-clockwise until the potion turns as clear was water; every stir should take approximately two and a half seconds._
  13. _Slowly pour seven square pieces of Valerian root._
  14. _Stir the potion ten times anti-clockwise._
  15. _Add one hundred and fifty fl.oz. of powdered root of asphodel._
  16. _Hold the cauldron with your right hand; with your left hand gently stir the potion ten times anti-clockwise and eight times clockwise._ Stir anti-clockwise seven times and clockwise once instead.
  17. _Leave the potion to settle for two and a half minutes._
  18. _Add one small piece of Valerian root._
  19. _Your potion should turn to a pale pink colour; the preparation is now complete._



He had already made some notes in his book, after researching upgrades he could make to the recipe so that it would be easier to brew the potion. He started crushing his sophophorus beans carefully.

Potion brewing took him all of his morning and a good part of the afternoon. Therefore it was five when he came back up and decided it was time he went shopping. He picked some money from the kitchen table and left, locking the door behind him. He walked slowly. There was no reason to hurry and he quite enjoyed being outside. It was true he didn’t look like the type to go outside much with his overly pale skin, but that was because he liked going out at night the most. He enjoyed moving amongst the shadows, liked walking the silent streets without people murmuring as he passed.

He arrived at the store and did his shopping quickly. He absolutely hated shopping. There was always some middle aged woman who would look at him with a wary eye. They always treated him like some sort of criminal, just because he wore cheap clothes and because he didn’t have an ideal home. He absolutely hated these muggles!

He was relieved when he came out. The light was dimming but it wasn’t quite night yet. Severus hesitated a few minutes. Should he go back home? But no one was waiting for him there and he wasn’t particularly looking forward to going back in that house. Instead, he decided to go to the park and watch the lake as he had done the previous evening. He made his way across the street and in the park. As he approached the bench he had sat on the day before, he noticed a figure sitting there. As he walked closer he managed to see the person more clearly. It was her, Petunia. It surprised him a bit but he decided not to dwell on it. She had the right to sit wherever she wanted after all.

“Hi.” he said as he sat down beside the girl.

The girl’s head jerked upwards and she blinked at him.

“Hi.” she replied after a moment of confusion.

Severus could feel the icy blue eyes on him as he turned his gaze towards the lake. It didn’t feel uncomfortable though. After a few minutes, Petunia looked away.

“Do you live alone?” asked the girl.

“Yeah, my dad leaves when I’m on holyday.” said Severus.

He had no idea why he was being honest with the girl. His Slytherin instinct was telling him he should give her the cold shoulder and not give her any information. But he was comfortable and felt compelled to reply.

“Aren’t you lonely?” the blue eyes turned to look at the dark haired boy.

Severus turned to look at her and met her gaze. It wasn’t such much of a cold gaze, as he had initially thought but rather a tranquil and patient gaze. And maybe, just maybe the tiniest hint of softness.

“Not really.” said Severus looking away.

It was a lie. And he knew Petunia had felt it. The girl’s eyes turned to the lake. They sat side by side, in silence, until the sky began to darken. Petunia got up. Severus expected her to leave and yet she was standing there without taking another step.

“Can I come and cook for you tomorrow?” asked the girl suddenly.

Surprised, the dark haired boy turned to look at her. There was a slight blush in her cheeks and she looked uncertain. Severus tried to evaluate the possibilities of it being a trap of some kind but found that he was unable to think.

“Sure.” he found himself saying.

The girl looked surprised. Then she looked relieved and finally she smiled. It was a small and shy smile, but a smile nonetheless. Severus watched her leave, unable to turn away. It was after she had disappeared in the growing darkness that the information finally made it to his brain. He had just agreed to let her cook for him tomorrow. Severus tried to convince himself that it was a disaster but somehow couldn’t quite manage it. He hadn’t had had a decent meal since he had left Hogwarts after all…


	4. First Summer: part four

Petunia had sprawled all her best clothes on her bed, trying to decide what she would wear. She had no idea why she was acting like she had an extremely important appointment when she was only going to cook at that boy’s house. She didn’t even know why she had suggested it in the first place, perhaps because she was lonely and Severus looked lonely as well. She had to admit, she had been surprised that the boy agreed to it. She was sure he would refuse; but he hadn’t.

She looked at the pile of clothes. She suddenly felt like banging her head against the walls. This was ridiculous; she should just wear normal clothes. It would do just fine, she would only cook and eat there after all. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a pale blue sleeveless shirt and put them on. She quickly combed her hair and with one last look at the mirror she went downstairs to pick the ingredients she had bought earlier.

“I’m going.” she called.

“Have a nice day.” called back her mother.

She had told them she was going at a friend’s house for lunch. She knew her parents had assumed the friend in question was a classmate. She was pretty sure they wouldn’t have agreed so easily if she had told her she was going at the house of a boy who lived alone and who just happened to be Severus Snape. She felt a bit guilty but reminded herself that she hadn’t lied to them; she just hadn’t told them the entire truth.

Checking that her keys were in her pocket, Petunia left her house and made her way towards Spinner’s End. There weren’t many people in the streets which was good as Petunia didn’t want the neighbours to tell her parents that she had gone to the Snape household. She rang the doorbell and waited. If she hadn’t known better she would have thought the house was abandoned. It looked old and rundown. She heard footsteps inside the house and the door swung open revealing Severus in plain jeans and shirt. The boy looked at her with a strange expression on his face and Petunia thought he would tell her to leave.

“Come in.” he said at last making way for her to step inside.

She entered the house and he closed the door behind her. The inside was similar to the outside. It was old and dirty. She followed the dark haired boy in the kitchen which also served as a dining room.

“I was thinking of making curry, do you like it?” she asked placing her bag of ingredients carefully on the table.

“I’ve never had curry before so I don’t know.” replied the boy taking a seat.

“I see. What kind of food do you usually eat?” asked Petunia as she started taking out the ingredients. “By the way do you have a frying pan?”

“It’s in the drawer on your right.” he said pointing to the drawer. “Since I’m not very good at cooking I usually eat basic stuff, like sausages and such.”

They stayed silent for a while, Petunia continuing cooking and Severus observing her. Soon a nice smell filled the kitchen. The blonde girl smiled as she looked at the simmering curry. It was looking good.

“Should I lay the table?” asked Severus.

“Yes please, I think it will be ready in a few minutes.” she said with a smile.

The dark haired boy nodded and started placing plates, knives and forks on the table. Petunia turned back to the dish. Satisfied with the result she brought the dish to the table. She served them as Severus sat at the table. They ate in silence. Severus seemed to like curry a lot and had a second helping. Petunia was quite happy that it had so much success.

Once they were done eating, they washed their plates and went in the sitting room. They sat in silence for a while longer. This gave Petunia the chance to inspect her surroundings. The room was dirty. It looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in ages; it probably hadn’t. Petunia was a bit fussy about cleaning and it unsettled her greatly that there was room that was so dirty and that she was not cleaning it.

“I don’t mean to be rude,” she started after a moment of hesitation. “but do you ever clean?”

The boy stared at her blankly, most likely surprised.

“No, not really.” he said at last.

He must have noticed the look of shocked horror that Petunia gave him because he added:

“I only live here in the summer and even then I don’t spend much time inside, so it doesn’t really matter.”

“But surely it can’t be healthy!” exclaimed the blonde girl frowning slightly.

The boy shrugged.

“Can I clean?” blurted Petunia.

She blushed furiously when she realized that the words had actually left her mouth. The boy blinked.

“Well, I don’t mind but…” he looked suspicious as if he expected a trap or something.

“I mean, I like to clean and it would probably better for you not to live in dust all the time.” she justified herself quickly.

Severus stared at her before shaking his head.

“Do whatever you want.” he said in the familiar bored drawl.

Petunia beamed at him. She then enquired about cleaning equipment and got to work. Meanwhile Severus retreated to the cellar to ‘work’. Petunia started with the sitting room. She dusted the little furniture there was and vacuum the floor. She also did her best to rid the sofa of all its dust. Once she was satisfied with the sitting room, she went into the kitchen/dining room and started cleaning there as well.

It was half past six by the time she finished cleaning the first floor. She put her equipment back in its cupboard and walked to the cellar. She opened the door slightly and looked inside. The room wasn’t like any other cellar she had seen. It had a long table on one side, with loads of strange looking plants and…well, stuff. On the walls were shelves packed with books and vials sporting etiquettes with names in Latin, and in the middle of the room was a cauldron set on a fire. Severus was behind the cauldron, his back turned to her.

“Severus?” she called hesitantly.

The boy jumped in surprise and turned around hastily. The blonde girl gave him an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” she said. “I just came to tell you that I would be heading home, now. I’ll come back tomorrow to clean the rooms upstairs, if that’s alright with you.”

The dark haired boy looked surprised that she would be coming back. For a moment he had an uneasy expression on his face.

“Alright then.” he said just when Petunia thought he would tell her to never come back. “See you tomorrow.”

The blonde girl smiled and bid him goodbye before silently closing the door again. She made her way back to the front door and picked her coat. A minute later, the front door banged shut and silence settled in the house once more. It wasn’t the same kind of silence though; it wasn’t heavy and cold but rather peaceful.


	5. First Summer: finale

After Petunia had left, Severus finished his brewing and went upstairs. Upon stepping in the sitting room, he froze momentarily. He couldn’t remember ever having seen the room so clean. In fact, it didn’t even look like it was the same room he had left a few hours ago. There was no longer any sign of dust, the floor was clean, and the spider webs had disappeared. The dark haired teen stepped in the room hesitantly. He hadn’t realized how much a little cleaning could change a room. Not only was it clean, but the windows had been opened letting fresh air in for the first time in ages.

Severus suddenly felt a surge of respect for the blond girl. It was then that he remembered what she had said. She would be cleaning the rooms upstairs the next day! Suddenly worried, the dark haired boy ran up the stairs into his room and started going through his belongings. It wouldn’t do to leave important things in his room where they could easily be stolen. Of course, he didn’t think she _would_ steal anything, but one could never be too careful.

After much deliberation he decided his books would be fine. He dumped everything else in his suitcase and brought it down to the cellar. Once that his things were safely put away, the boy started feeling hungry. He remembered the curry and sighed. Obviously he wouldn’t be getting such a good meal but he could at least find something to satisfy his hunger. He went to the kitchen and was surprised to see a plate of curry on the table. Next to it was a note, written in neat letters.

_“This is the left-overs from the curry. You can heat it up and eat it for your dinner if you like._

_See you tomorrow, Petunia”_

An unknown warmth spread in his chest, though he would have rather died on the spot that admitted it.

***

The next day, Petunia went back to the Snape household and cleaned the rooms while Severus occupied himself in the cellar. She cooked lunch for him and they ate together. When she left in the afternoon, a plate with the lunch’s left-overs was left on the kitchen table. The day after that she did the laundry. And soon they fell in a kind of routine. Petunia arrived in the morning and did some housework. She would then cook and they would eat lunch. In the afternoon, Petunia would either continue what she was doing previously or she would join Severus downstairs or watch him work.

She had discovered on the fifth day that she quite liked watching the younger boy brewing potions. She could see, despite the mask he always seemed to wear, that he was very passionate about Potions. He would have that small frown of concentration when he measured ingredients and his lips would twitch upwards ever so slightly when he completed the brewing successfully. After watching the boy a few times Petunia started to feel interested in Potions.

The way she saw it, it was a lot like cooking. She had told Severus that and he had briefly looked extremely offended. He appeared to accept her explanations though and without looking at her, he had told her that she could read the books on the cellar’s shelf if she was interested. She had smiled and thanked him warmly. He had mumbled something in reply, blushing slightly.

Their routine had continued all through summer. By the last few weeks of holidays, Petunia and Severus were having long conversations about Potions and the boy spend more time in the sitting room, reading or working and sometimes engaging into conversations with Petunia.

And then the last day came…

“Did you pack already?” asked Petunia placing the curry dish carefully on the table.

“I hadn’t really unpacked…” muttered Severus kind of knowing where this was going to lead.

As expected, Petunia sighed and gave him a disapproving look.

“Really, living like you do it’s a wonder you managed to survive to this day!”

Wisely, the dark haired boy kept his mouth shut.

“Oh well, when you come back next time, do take the time to unpack. I bet you have some dirty clothes at the bottom of your suitcase that haven’t seen the light of day in months.” continued the blond girl.

Well, that was actually possible…

The blue eyed girl carefully served him a plate of his favourite dish and he thanked her quietly. He waited for her to sit down in front of him. He didn’t start eating immediately.

“Don’t your parents wonder where you go every day?” he asked at last, he had actually been meaning to ask for a long while.

She looked up, appearing surprised by the sudden inquiry.

“Not really, I told them I went at a friend’s who spent summer alone.” she shrugged. “They don’t mind. Plus they have Lily anyway.”

If there was one thing Severus knew about the girl was that she didn’t like her sister that much. Something to do with the amount of attention their parents gave to the green eyed witch.

He decided to drop the subject and started eating.

When it was time for Petunia to leave, Severus grabbed her hand and placed a key inside.

“In case you need it.” he said simply.

The girl smiled fondly and took the key delicately; as if afraid she would break it. She looked at it a few moments before pocketing it. She took a step forward and kissed the boy’s cheek.

“Have a nice year at school.” she said before falling into her usual motherly tone. “Be good, keep in touch.”

The boy could only nod, slightly taken aback by the affectionate gesture. The door slammed shut and he was alone again, this time for a long while.


	6. Second Summer: part one

After saying her farewells to Severus, Petunia had gone back to her regular life. She went to school, talked and laughed with her friends, despaired at the happiness her parents demonstrated every time Lily sent a letter and Severus Snape became little more than a nice memory. He was on her mind, but hidden in a corner. Sometimes, mostly when Lily’s letters arrived, the boy would float into her thoughts and she would feel a pang of sadness. Severus never wrote. He didn’t come back for Christmas holidays or any other for that matter. It was as if that summer they had become friends of sorts had been a long dream and she was now forced back into reality with the memory of the dream slowly fading into oblivion.

Petunia had never been a very expressive girl. She scarcely smiled and her face appeared frozen in a cold mask. Few people could see passed her apparent cold-heartedness and discover the caring girl hidden behind. In fact, no one seemed to see that side of her. Not even Petunia herself. She had grown so accustomed to people saying she was cold, harsh, plain and even mean, that she had started thinking that way herself.

When winter came and there had still not been any news of Severus, the cold wind seemed to blow not only in the streets but also in her heart. It was that winter that she had a first big row with her younger sister. It had been a silly fight, so silly that she couldn’t remember what it had been about a few weeks afterwards. Nonetheless, the house had shook with their angered cries until Lily, face red and eyes blazing with green fire, had had the last word.

“YOU’RE JUST JEALOUS BECAUSE YOU’LL NEVER BE AS PRETTY OR SMART AS ME.” she had screamed. “YOU’RE JUST A STUPID MUGGLE!”

Petunia had been speechless. Her blue eyes had shone with tears as she turned around and started climbing the stairs towards her room. As she slowly went up, her mouth clenched and her lower lip trembling, a lone tear had run down her porcelain white cheek.

Behind her, Lily had frozen at her own words. With a shocked expression she had tried to call her sister back.

“I…I didn’t mean it, Tuney! I really didn’t!” she was crying as well, as she apologized for her words in a quavering voice. “I’m sorry Tuney. I didn’t mean to say it.”

Upstairs, Petunia shut her bedroom door quietly. Once in the safety of her room she sunk to the floor and sobbed in silence.

Lily had gone back to school the next day without another passing between the two sisters. When Lily went to Petunia to say goodbye she was confronted to an unreadable mask of tone and eyes as cold as ice. Lily had bitten her lower lip and looked down.

“Bye Tuney.” she had whispered before turning around and running to the car in which her parents were already waiting.

***

Spring had been uneventful. And soon, summer came once again.

Petunia didn’t look forward to the summer that year. In fact, she didn’t remember its exact significance until the schoolbell rung for the last time and the teacher wished them all a good summer holyday while joyful squeals erupted around the classroom. Summer, she thought. Severus.

That night, she could barely sleep so impatient was she to make her way to Spinner’s End. She turned and tossed in her bed for hours before sinking into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, she opened her eyes to a bright sunny day. She jumped out of bed and started preparing herself for her visit at her friend’s house. When she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror she was surprised to not see the sour, unhappy girl she had gotten used to being over the last months. Her cheeks were faintly flushed, and her blue eyes were bright with excitement. She smiled at herself as she thought that that summer hadn’t been a dream after all. The rest of the year had been. She had been sleeping for such a long time and now she was waking up.

She spun happily in a very un-Petuniaish way, before opening her desk drawer. Inside was the key given to her by Severus when he had left the previous summer. She picked it up delicately and gazed at it fondly before placing it carefully in her pocket. She grabbed a bag and some money before setting off. Severus wouldn’t be there yet. He and Lily came back by train and they would arrive at King’s Cross station in the afternoon. It gave her enough time to clean the house and prepare the boy’s supper.

There was a spring in her steps as she made her way down the street. By the time she arrived at the house she had made a detailed schedule of her day in her mind and was ready to get started. She had a moment of apprehension when she put the key in the lock. Suppose Mr. Snape hadn’t left yet? She was relieved to see the door had been locked. She quickly and silently checked the inside of the house just in case but it was empty. Relief briefly washed over the girl before puzzlement settled.

For some reason the house seemed strange. It wasn’t just empty. It looked abandoned. Frowning she inspected the sitting room in which she was standing. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary she made her way into the kitchen. Her gaze travelled around the room without finding any clue. The room was empty save from the normal kitchenware one expected to find in a kitchen. Then, it struck her. Severus’ father usually left an envelope with money on the kitchen table for the boy’s expenses during summer. There was no such envelope now. With her sudden discovery, Petunia jumped into action. She grabbed the fridge’s door handle and swung it open. The very few ingredients she had left in there last summer had not moved, though they had long gone to waste. She quickly threw the lot into the bin and went to inspect the rest of the house. The rooms looked unused and a thick layer of dust covered every piece of furniture in the house.

Petunia shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Mr. Snape had never come back to the house and she didn’t know whether that was good news or not.


	7. Second Summer: part two

When Severus Snape arrived at his front door that afternoon, he was surprised to see the door unlocked. He knew, however, almost instantly who was inside. And his steps were the tiniest bit quicker than they would normally have been as he walked inside. He dropped his suitcase next to the stairs and made his way through the living room and into the kitchen. As he entered, the blonde girl sitting in the chair turned around in surprise. His dark eyes met blue and he stopped all movements. He wasn’t sure he liked the bubble of warmth that enveloped his heart in the split second where her gaze had met his.

She was moving now, while he was still frozen in his spot. She rose slowly from her seat. She moved noiselessly and carefully as if she was afraid he would disappear if she was not gentle enough. She took a step forward and stood hesitating. They gazed at each other unsure of what to do in such a situation. Silently, Severus searched for traces of anger in her face because he hadn’t written. He found none. Instead, he noticed she had grown a little bit taller over the year. She was a willowy girl, with long slender limbs and peerless white skin. It was so pale that it was almost transparent on some parts of her body where the skin was thinner and let turquoise veins faintly appear. Her thin lips were pinkish and they trembled slightly at that moment. Her blonde hair was glossier than he remembered and looked less straw-like. She had slightly bulging eyes which he remembered finding ugly when he had first met her but combined with her delicate features he found that she resembled a doe with wide curious eyes.

“Severus.” she murmured as if she only half-believed he was there.

“Petunia.” he replied. “It’s been a while.”

“A year.” she said.

He gulped. She hadn’t meant for it to be harsh. It was a statement of an undeniable fact. But there was a hint of sadness in her eyes as she said it and he felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Why had he been so stupid as to let his pride get the better of him? He should have written. About what he had no clue. But perhaps if he had…

“You didn’t write.” she commented in that peculiar tone of hers which was neither harsh nor accusing.

“No.” he said and he thought of apologizing. “Neither did you.” he said instead.

Her gaze which had been lowered up till that moment travelled up and stopped on his dark eyes. They were wide and astonished and he feared that she would get mad. But she didn’t.

In an instant, her whole face softened and eased in a smile.

“No, I didn’t write either.” she said and her voice sounded like laughter to his ears.

As soon as it came, the smile vanished and her features hardened once more.

“I’m glad to see you Severus.” she said quietly. “Welcome home.”

Those two words were like a hurricane in Severus’ world and he could only think of one thing to say in reply. Something he had never dreamt he would ever say, even when his mother had still been alive.

“I’m glad to be back.” he told her and received the second brightest smile he had ever seen on the girl.

Later, after Petunia had cooked dinner and sent Severus to unpack while she did with a threatening wave of her spoon and a firm ‘I mean unpack not leave the suitcase in your room!’, the two of them sat at the kitchen table. The atmosphere was a lot more serious than it had been earlier in the afternoon. Severus had his jaw clenched and Petunia wore a worried expression.

“What will you do?” asked Petunia at last.

Severus sighed heavily.

“He didn’t even leave a phone number, the bastard.” he muttered.

Petunia grabbed one of the boy’s pale wrists and squeezed it sympathetically. Severus she knew didn’t swear much. She had told him once that he talked like a dictionary. He had just shrugged but she’d seen he was amused by it. She had only heard him swear once before when he had failed a potion he had been working on. She therefore knew how much resentment the boy must have towards his father to call him by such a rude word.

Severus surprised himself by liking the warmth of the girl’s hand on his wrist.

“I suppose I’ll have to go to Gringotts tomorrow.” he muttered thoughtfully, his brain already calculating the moves he could make to drag himself out of this difficult situation. “I’ll have to go to Diagon Alley.”

He gazed up at the girl who was listening attentively. He hesitated. Should he invite her to come? Did he want her to? He supposed he did. If she was with him he would have to be strong when the goblins gave him the bad news. Because there was no doubt in his mind it would be bad news.

“Would you like to come with me?” he asked her.

Different emotions flashed in her eyes. She was surprised he had asked but happy he had thought to do so. Yet she was a bit reluctant or maybe uncertain, at the idea of going in a wizarding place. She didn’t belong there. She wasn’t a witch. But Severus was a wizard. It was his world and it wouldn’t hurt to get a glimpse of it. She wouldn’t be doing anything wrong.

“All right.” she said at last. “At what time should we meet up?”


	8. Second Summer: part three

She was nervous. It wasn’t fearful stress but rather a type of happy nervousness. The kind that made you walk incessantly around, an added spring in your step, as if using as much energy as you could would make time flow faster. Petunia was nervously excited. Yes, that’s what it was. Excitement that made her tremble and wish two o’ clock would come more quickly. Usually she greeted the idea of a day out with friends with a dull interest. A day out in Diagon Alley usually made her irritable and short-tempered. But today she was not going with her family to Diagon Alley and the friend she was going with was different from any other. Severus Snape brought out a side of her that no one else ever saw. She rather liked it.

At last two o’ clock came and she found herself standing next to the dark haired boy in a dark street.

“We’re going by bus.” he had told her a few minutes before making sure there was no one around.

He stuck his hand in the air in a way someone would hail a taxi. Except there were no taxis around. In fact there was nothing around, not even a stray cat.

Petunia’s thoughts were soon contradicted by the arrival of a three decker bus who came to an abrupt halt in front of them, its tyres screeching atrociously.

“The Knight bus.” muttered Severus for her benefit.

She followed him cautiously up the steps and waited while Severus suffered through the conductor’s speech. Once Severus had concluded the conversation by telling the man their destination rather snappishly, the two teenagers went to sit. Following Severus’ instructions, Petunia grabbed her seat as the bus lurched forward. She soon understood why. The bus was driving at top speed, swerving at corners making her stomach flip uncomfortably. She stopped looking out of the windows as soon as she understood that they were taking routes that were not meant for buses of any kind. She preferred not to know how they did it.

She met Severus’ concerned look and gave him a small smile in reassurance but it promptly left her lips as the bus swerved once more.

She was glad when the bus came to a sudden halt and the conductor announced they were in front of the Leaky Cauldron. Whatever that was. She lost no time in getting out of the bus and inhale a lungful of fresh air as her feet touched the ground.

Severus lifted an eyebrow at her. His way of asking her how she felt? She gave him a smile to show she was fine and they entered the Leaky Cauldron, which happened to be a pub. It was only when she stepped inside that Petunia remembered the place. She had come through the pub before with her parents and Lily. They had a sort of gateway in the backyard which opened in Diagon Alley. Sure enough, Severus led her straight to the back door and into the tiny courtyard. He took out his wand and tapped a series of brick before stepping back.

Under the girl’s amazed eyes the bricks started rearranging themselves to create an archway, opening on a busy wizarding street: Diagon Alley.

“The bank is this way.” said Severus jerking his chin towards a tall building in the distance.

She felt his tension and placed her hand on his arm briefly, with a reassuring nod of her head. He gave her a grateful look which conveyed everything he would rather die than say aloud and they were off. Petunia had worried a little that she would stand out in the crowd of wizards and witches but no one looked her way and if they did they didn’t appear surprised. She supposed it wasn’t uncommon for Muggle-borns like Lily to come here. They probably thought she was one too.

It didn’t take them long to reach the impressive wizarding bank, Gringotts. As soon as they entered, Petunia inched closer to the dark haired boy. She didn’t consider herself racist, and with a witch for a sister she had to expand the number of…beings she had to consider normal, but the goblins unsettled her. It wasn’t just because they were ugly. They were. But it was their calculating gazes which really bothered her. It felt like all their beady eyes had turned to her and Severus when they stepped in and wouldn’t leave them. Of course, she knew it was stupid. There were many other people in the bank and there was no way all the goblins would have taken a sudden interest in two children, but she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

They walked up to a counter and Severus addressed the goblin sitting there.

“I would like to know about my mother’s vault and will.” stated the boy firmly, though underneath all the sharpness and pomp, Petunia knew the boy was nervous.

He was just very good at hiding it.

“Key please.” said the goblin with a voice that sounded like a chair screeching against the floor.

Severus handed him a small golden key and the goblin examined it.

“Ah, yes.” it said. “Severus Snape, son of Eileen Prince.”

Severus nodded curtly.

“Very well, follow me please.”

The little creature jumped from its high stool and led them to the side. They went through some corridors before entering a small room with a desk. They sat around it and the goblin took out a roll of parchment and a pair of binoculars which he placed on his nose.

“It states here that all of your mother’s vaults are to be passed on to you.” announced the goblin. “The main vault will only be available to you when you come of age but another vault was set up in order to take care of your expenses until you reach that age.”

Followed a long list of conditions, numbers and items which Petunia promptly tuned out. She glanced at Severus and felt warmth spread inside her. Things were going to be fine. She was sure of it.


	9. Second Summer: part four

Severus prided himself in being very independent for his age. Not like he had had much of a choice. Ever since his mother’s death, he had practically been an orphan. His father never took care of him. He was left to fend for himself, until he was finally abandoned, just a few days before. He could take care of himself, if not he would have died. The simple fact that he was still breathing was proof that he needed no one’s help to survive.

To survive, to live not so much.

He wasn’t looking at her, but at the parchment in front of him. He could feel her presence though. It was neither warm nor soft but it was calming, comforting. He wasn’t sure if he could have stayed so calm without the steadying presence next to him. He would probably never admit it to anyone but he had grown used to the girl. No, that wasn’t quite it, he had grown to depend on her. He liked being around her and he was honestly unsure of how he had managed to live all those years without her.

It sounded cheesy when said like this but it was the truth. Before she had come the house had been as silent as a grave, run-down, dusty and the one place he hated more than anything. But she had passed the threshold and everything had changed. The silence was no longer eerie, it was amicable. The rooms were clean and full of fresh air. The house had suddenly become luminous, comfortable and everything it hadn’t been since his mother had died. He got the sense of home from it. And it was all thanks to her.

He finished the paperwork that gave him access to the vault his mother had set up for him. He then got up, followed by Petunia and they walked out of Gringotts. He stopped as soon as they had left the bank, all the accumulated stress suddenly evaporating. He felt a cool hand wrap around his and his dark gaze flickered to look at Petunia. The girl’s smile was not wide nor was it warm, but it was loving.

All at once, he felt his expression soften and if he did not smile, he knew he must look more mild than usual. He gave the girl’s hand a squeeze and gently pulled her along with him.

“Is there anywhere you would like to go to?” he asked, he sounded bored as he always did and suddenly wished his mask wasn’t so flawless.

He glanced at his companion, a little worried that she might be offended. She didn’t look it. Her smile had vanished but he knew it never stayed for long. They were alike in the way they were strangers to displays of emotions. They showed their feelings in much subtler ways than others and perhaps that was why they understood each other so well.

She returned his gaze levelly and once again he was struck by the power of those pale blue eyes.

“Is there any Potions shop we could go to?” she asked softly, a hopeful glint in her eyes.

He felt his lips quirk upwards as he answered:

“Of course. The apothecary shop is just round the corner.”

They browsed the shop’s goods for a long while after that. They walked around the shop slowly, enjoying the simple happiness of being together. At times they would stop in front of a curious or rare ingredient and discuss it. Severus would explain to Petunia what it was and she would ponder on its various uses. Severus realized then that the girl had become quite knowledgeable on his favourite subject. It made him wonder if she loved it as much as he did or if she was simply showing interest to please him.

Looking at the hint of excitement in her eyes as she gazed around the apothecary’s shop, he decided that she wasn’t doing for him. He felt a little bit foolish for feeling happy from such a little thing. But then she pointed at something with the hand he wasn’t holding and he forgot all about it.

Two days later, her parents anxiously asked Petunia if she wanted to come with them to Diagon Alley. For the first time since Lily had started going to Hogwarts, three years before, the blonde girl did not show any anger or irritation at the mention of the magical world. She simply placed her wide blue eyes on her mother and smiled faintly.

“No thank you. I already have plans with a friend of mine.” she said simply before turning away and calmly climbing the stairs.

“You’re seeing someone aren’t you?” asked a red haired girl, effectively stopping the older girl in her tracks.

Petunia turned around, and looked at her sister who was standing at the bottom of the stairs. She often felt annoyed at Lily. Not because she was magical and Petunia was not, but because she acted like Petunia had a disability instead of simply being non-magical. She also didn’t like her sister butting in her business much.

This was why her expression hardened as she looked down at the girl. But as her eyes narrowed, she thought about her sister’s words. Was she seeing someone? She thought about Severus and his silky black hair, his dark impenetrable eyes and his pale complexion.

“Maybe I am.” she told her sister cryptically, a ghost of a smile floating on her lips.


	10. Second Summer: final

After their trip to Diagon Alley, Petunia and Severus took to going out a little more. They did not go to the movies or to the zoo like most teenagers. Their trips were often very simply shopping trips to the supermarket. Once or twice, they went for evening walks in the park, after which Severus would walk Petunia halfway home. They had an unspoken agreement to not go where people who knew the Evans would see them. Both knew that Petunia’s parents would not regard their relationship with approval. The girl remembered her mother telling her once, in the times Lily had been friends with the raven haired boy, that nothing good ever came out of Spinner’s End. At the time, she had readily agreed that the boy’s home was the nest of all evil. But back then, she had still been bitter about not receiving a letter from Hogwarts like her younger sister.

If she was honest with herself she still was bitter about it. But not for the same reasons. Her mind would wander sometimes, and she would think of what could have happened if she had been a witch and her heart clenched. Had she been magical, she and Severus would have gone to school together, could have enjoyed brewing Potions together. In those times she would feel that Lily was right, she was disabled. She felt like she was missing a leg and was forced to limp while others were running ahead. Magic placed a distance between herself and Severus which she dearly wished she could cross.

There was no denying that she felt more strongly for Severus than she would for a friend. On days she felt daring she would even form the thought that maybe, just maybe this was what they called love. Other days, when she and the dark haired boy were out, she would relish the feeling of his hand around hers and decided that it didn’t matter what it was, as long as it existed.

They had never talked about the change in their relationship. Doing so, would have probably been awkward. But more than that, there was the fact that they didn’t feel like they needed to exchange words on the subject. Their relationship was, after all, based on silence. They were no great conversationalists and more often than not they would fall into a comfortable silence.

Summer days passed in such a way and the day soon came to great the first month of Fall.

“Are you all packed?” asked Petunia as she put away the last remains of their dinner.

She turned to look at him and he nodded.

“I have. There are only a few books left but I’ll pack them tonight.”

She walked away from the sideboard, stopping in the doorway. Severus was a few feet away, leaning against the sofa. Suddenly, the awareness that he would be leaving the next day hit her. Already, she could feel the ache settling in.

“I’ll miss you.” she sighed, gazing at him mournfully.

He lifted his black eyes to meet her gaze. She wasn’t sure who moved first. One moment they were gazing at each other, the next Severus was taking forward just as she left the doorway. They met halfway, her arms sliding around his back while he wrapped her in his strong embrace. She pressed her cheek against his torso, burying her face into the black fabric of his shirt. After a moment, she felt his chin come to rest on top of her head and she closed her eyes.

She didn’t know how long they stayed this way, but it was warm, it was something she never wanted to lose.

She lifted her head to look at him at the same time as he looked down at her. She had always known they could read each other well, but there was something magical in the way they seemed to know exactly what the other was going to do the next moment. Their lips brushed and she felt unsure. Did she really want this? Did he really want this? But, then he kissed her and took all her doubts away.

When they parted, Petunia took a reluctant step back.

“I’m going to miss you.” she said again but her voice betrayed something knew, something neither of them would dare to call love just yet.

“I’ll miss you too.” he said and knew at that very moment that he had never said a truer word.


	11. Interlude: First Christmas

Unlike the previous year, Severus and Petunia stayed in contact. Though the first few letters were a little bit awkward the two of them soon fell into a routine. Neither of them wrote extensively and they did not write to each other every day, but twice a month Severus would go up to the owlery with a sealed envelope and twice a month Petunia would receive the boy’s letter after an owl had come to peck at her window. Once she had read the parchment, she would sit at her desk and compose her answer which she would then send back with the owl.

The letters’ subject did not vary much. After a concise summary of the important events since their last letter, they would usually continue their written conversation about Potions – a subject they both enjoyed a lot. Talking about potion-making was both a relief and a pleasure for the both of them. For Severus, it was an opportunity to share his passion for the subject with someone equally enthusiastic, and at the same time it solved the problem of not knowing what to write about. He wasn’t good at writing letters, this he had quickly noticed in his first attempts at writing to Petunia. For the blond girl, it was an open door to the magical world which remained unattainable to her despite her strong yearning for it.

From time to time, Petunia would insert an account of her visit in Spinner’s End. She had taken to going there regularly to keep the house in order as well as check for any signs of Mr Snape. She could not say if it was fortunate but the man remained absent. For better or for worse it seemed Severus’ last remaining relative had walked out of his life for good.

By the time December came round, Petunia had dared to sign her letter with ‘Love’ and Severus had announced he would come back for Christmas. They discussed the matter at length and finally decided that they would not do anything special on Christmas day as Petunia would surely be expected to spend it with her family but they would get together on the 26th to exchange presents.

It was thus with barely repressed excitement that Petunia welcomed the arrival of Christmas. With the anticipated day came Lily, back from Hogwarts with piles of wizarding sweets, magical gifts and an undying stream of tales of her days at Hogwarts. As usual, the read haired witch’s return was Petunia’s cue to vanish in the background. For once, she did it gladly and was only mildly irritated by her sister’s vehement criticism of one James Potter – who, if anyone asked Petunia, sounded like a mightily uninteresting and smug fellow.

More often than not, her thoughts wandered to the dark haired boy who appeared to have stolen her heart. During the days before their promised reunion, she busied herself rummaging in her wardrobe for the perfect outfit, worrying about whether Severus would like his present, choosing the recipe for the dinner she would prepare on the 26th and avoiding Lily to the best of her ability.

The 25th finally arrived and with the Evans family’s Christmas celebration. Petunia was surprised to see that Lily had thought of buying her a present, a pendant of bluish purple stone shaped like a petunia flower hanging from a silver chain. She was glad she had thought of getting the younger girl a present and – though she would not admit it – was touched by the thoughtfulness of the red haired witch.

The following day she placed the necklace around her neck, put her coat over the pale blue dress she had chosen to wear and was off. Her shopping bag full of ingredients in one hand she made her way to Spinner’s End, a soft smile playing on her lips.

Once there she let herself in and was quick to notice that Severus wasn’t downstairs. Deciding the boy was most likely getting ready in his room, she went into the kitchen and started preparing their lunch. They wouldn’t be having turkey but she was confident the dish she had chosen would be both delicious and festive. As she was cutting her vegetables, she heard footsteps descending the stairs and promptly abandoned her preparation. Quickly rinsing her hands and flinging her apron to the side before hurrying out of the kitchen. She met Severus halfway and flung her arms around him in a rare outburst of affection. She leant her head against his shoulder and felt his strong arms wrap around her back.

“Welcome back, Severus.” she murmured.

He didn’t answer, preferring to tighten his grip around her. After a long moment, they parted enough for Severus to press a kiss to her lips.

“Are you already cooking?” he asked once he had released her.

“Yes, it’ll take some time to cook in the oven so I have to prepare it now.” she explained. “It won’t take much longer.”

True to her word, she was done twenty minutes later and joined the dark haired teen in the sitting room. They huddled on the sofa and talked about nothing and everything in quiet voices.

Lunchtime came and passed, and soon came the time to exchange presents. With much anxiousness Petunia handed Severus his present, receiving hers in exchange. The box he had given her was quite big and she could not resist unwrapping it to see what it was. Carefully she undid the red wrapping and uncovered a wooden box whose lid she lifted.

It was a Potions set. She caressed the glass vials delicately with delight before turning a questioning gaze towards Severus who was observing her reaction.

“I’ll teach how to make them in the Summer.” he said simply.

The young girl felt her heart swell. This was what she had always wanted: the ability to do magic. Even if she couldn’t use a wand like her sister, she could still make Potions with various magical effects.

“Thank you.” she breathed, a bright smile on her lips.

The boy nodded in acknowledgment before unwrapping his own present. She had picked out a light grey scarf and matching gloves for him and he seemed quite taken with them.

Later that evening, they went out for a walk and wandered to the main square where the gigantic Christmas tree was standing. As she watched the flickering lights, head resting against his shoulder and her hand entwined with him, Petunia felt, perhaps for the first time, that she was truly happy.


	12. Third Summer: part one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your information since I know it can a bit difficult to follow, this chapter enters the summer between Severus' fourth and fifth year at Hogwarts.

After Christmas, Severus had departed once again, the scarlet train taking him away to Scotland so that he could resume classes at Hogwarts. Petunia didn’t see him off at King’s Cross. She said her goodbyes in the privacy of Spinner’s End, which suited the both of them just fine. There would be a time when they could be open about this relationship they dared not name, but not yet. Not that they felt particularly bothered by it. Were they able to, Petunia doubted they would be the type to kiss in public. They were both private people, and maybe it was for the best.

By the time summer rolled around once more, Petunia had turned seventeen. Severus had told her when sending her birthday present, that in the wizarding world she would have been of age. Petunia had greeted the news with slight consternation which had given way to deep reflection. Yes, she had concluded, she felt like a woman. She had a suspicion that her relationship with Severus had something to do with it. When she made her way to Spinner’s End and stepped inside the house. She felt her heart swell with a mix of pride and happiness. This felt like home. This was a place she could see herself living in, along with the boy that currently held her heart.

Sometimes, thoughts of marriage floated in her mind and she quickly banished them. Embarrassment making her eager to occupy her thoughts elsewhere.

Still, she felt at home, she thought to herself once more as she stood in the sitting room in silent contemplation while waiting for Severus’ arrival. Her gaze lingered on the glass door leading to the garden. On a sudden impulse, she crossed the room and pushed the door open, taking a few steps outside. Up until that day, she had never really thought of the garden. She knew it was there, but had never considered using it.

As it was, of course, using it would prove a bit challenging. To say it was a jungle would be an endearment. Or possibly a gross understatement. Rather than a garden, it looked like a piece of wildlife had somehow made its way to the back of the Snape house. It was all overwhelming greenery which had been allowed to grow far past what was reasonable and a multitude of smaller lives that ran free in the crowded space.

She decided then and there that she would tame it and make it a little piece of heaven.

Strong arms wrapped themselves around her from behind, and she leant easily against the male torso pressing against her back. At first, they said nothing, simply revelling in the proximity in the mere fact that they were together.

Then, Petunia turned around. With a deliberate slowness and without leaving the boy’s embrace, she manoeuvred herself so that she would be facing him. She delicately pressed her lips to his before murmuring next to his ear:

“Welcome home, Severus.”

In response, he captured her lips in a soft kiss. She shuddered in delight when she felt his tongue seeking passage in her mouth and lost no time in allowing it, leaning forward as she did.

After they broke apart, Petunia announced her decision concerning the garden which was greeted by a huff which might also have been a sigh. She chuckled lightly and sent the boy to unpack. With the ease that seemed to characterize them, they had fallen back into their homely life.

As promised the next few days were shared between taming wildlife and Potions lessons. As it happened, one fed the other as Severus proposed to start with Potions which might help them with gardening. From magical pesticides, to insect repellents, they brewed a number of mixtures which would come in handy. Once they had succeeded in cutting the overgrown grass and clearing the dense mass of plants that was. Weeding alone took them several afternoons.

It only took them a few days to fall into a sort of routine which allowed them to juggle between homework, brewing, housework and gardening. It was a peaceful routine, which Petunia thoroughly enjoyed. When it was time for her to head back to her family home, she would often find herself thinking longingly of what it would be like to be a permanent resident rather than a guest. She knew that Severus perceived her regretful gazes, but whether he had rightly interpreted them or not she didn’t know. Either way, he hadn’t said a word about it.

She felt it might have to do with the thoughtful and slightly worried light that would at times appear in his eyes, as the boy lost himself in his thoughts. Severus hid it well, but Petunia knew he was worried about something. Something he couldn’t tell her about. She didn’t take offence for it, but she felt worry gain her in turn.

He would tell her when he was ready, she told herself. She wouldn’t force him to confide in her. Knowing Severus it would only serve to irritate him. There would be no point. Still, she could not deny the lump of worry that settled in her throat when she caught the look of thoughtfulness on the boy’s face.


	13. Third Summer: part two

The first hint as to what bothered Severus came to her in the middle of July. And surprisingly, Petunia got it from Lily. The sisters had not been on the best of terms for the last few years, but in the midst of her happiness, Petunia often forgot to be angry with the red-haired witch. Lily in turn, seemed to still feel guilty about her hurtful words said in the heat of the moment, and took any opportunity to try and renew the sisterly bonds that had long been missing. It was during one such conversation, innocent enough though made slightly awkward by the distance between the two girls.

Lily had been talking about James Potter, a favourite topic of hers, though the boy was always mentioned with annoyance. It was clear to Petunia that Lily was in love with the teen but would not admit it to herself. For that reason, she bore the conversation involving the Potter boy despite her hatred of the boy. She had heard in passing from her sister that the boy often bullied Severus, which displeased Petunia immensely.

Anyway, the conversation which had initially started on Potter had drifted to the tensions between students. According to Lily, some students, mostly in Slytherin which Petunia knew to be the house Severus was in, disapproved of Muggles and by extension Muggle-borns which they referred to by the insulting term ‘Mudblood’. Lily, was of course, a target of such insults. Those students were mostly what Lily called Purebloods, and believed that wizards were superior to non-magical people like Petunia and their parents.

Though wizards had had diverging opinions for years, the topic was at the front of everyone’s mind ever since a dark wizard calling himself Voldemort had risen to power. He was steadily gaining in influence and power, and Lily had reasons to believe there would be a war.

The more she heard about the situation, the deeper the frown on Petunia’s face became. Though she had no proof, she had a feeling that Severs’ worries were linked to this. In the first place, he must be in contact with those ‘Purebloods’. He was, after all, in Slytherin where they seemed to be numerous. The thought worried her.

By then, she was rather sure that Severus had feelings for her. She dared not call it love for fear of seeming presumptuous, but she believed it to be quite close. _She_ certainly loved _him_. But with love came insecurity and she found himself wondering how Severus felt about Muggles. Did he agree with Purebloods? Surely not. His own father was a Muggle after all. But he hated his father. And with good reasons too. Wouldn’t that prompt him to regard Muggles with disdain?

She bit her lip worriedly. She did not want to believe it. But doubt had settled in. Coupled with an unhealthy fear. And yet she could not bring herself to mention it to Severus.

Life went on as if nothing had happened for a little more than a week. Severus and Petunia continued with the gardening and brewing, each keeping his worries to himself. But Petunia knew this standstill wouldn’t last. She couldn’t let it because it devoured her inside. With each day passing, her worries and doubts increased, until she found herself lying awake at night, turning and tossing in her bed, trying to convince herself that Severus could not hate her. Would not leave her.

Such was her worry that she slipped during a conversation with Severus and brought up Purebloods. She bit her lip immediately and tried to cover her mistake, but Severus took one long look at her and proposed softly that they go sit on the sofa so that they could talk about it.

“Did you hear about it from Lily?” asked the boy once they had settled on the couch.

The girl nodded, blue eyes fixed on her pale hands.

“It’s true that I have friends who believe in Pureblood purity.” started Severus. “And I won’t deny I thought about it.”

He took a big breath and she bit her lip.

“I can’t say I like Muggles. My father wasn’t exactly the best example. But I don’t hate them enough to want to commit a genocide. I don’t hate _you_. I couldn’t bear to lose you and that is what would happen if I joined Voldemort.”

She closed her eyes briefly, replaying his words in her mind. _I don’t hate you_. _I couldn’t bear to lose you_. Those were clumsy words, which didn’t say the most important thing, but she cherished them all the same.

He must have misunderstood her silence because he cleared her throat, causing her to look up.

“I…Towards you I…”

She smiled in spite of her. He looked ever so uncomfortable trying to convey a feeling they had never yet put into words. It wasn’t him, she knew that. But he was trying. For her.

She leaned towards him and placed her head on his shoulder, a silent acceptance of the words that had not left his lips. But she knew they floated there, ready to be said and yet unable to take form or sound. But it was enough for her to know he bore the same feelings as she did.

After a moment Severus placed an arm around her waist and pulled her in his lap, pressing his face in the crook of her neck, a rare show of tenderness. He looked almost fragile as he held her tight against him. A soft smile played on the girl’s lips, as she abandoned herself to the embrace.


	14. Third Summer: part three

The garden at Spinner’s End was starting to look less like a miniature jungle and more like an actual garden. Definitely a good sign in Petunia’s opinion. It was time they started thinking about which plants they would like to grow there. She didn’t think they would keep many of the existing plants. The tree at the back of the garden was alright, but most of the other plants were far too overgrown to be salvageable. At this point, it would be much easier to replace them altogether. She took the problem to Severus and the two of them finally decided to grow plants that could be used in Potions. It would kill two birds with one stone, and, though she didn’t say a word of it, Petunia felt that it was a good way to motivate Severus. Though the boy had been very helpful and had not complained, it was clear gardening wasn’t his cup of tea. By linking it to his beloved Potions, he at least looked interested by the prospect of growing his own Potions’ ingredients.

In order to buy the necessary plants and seeds, a trip to Diagon Alley was organized. On the appointed day, they made their way to the magical street of London.

As they walked side by side amidst the crowd of wizards and witches, all dressed in brightly coloured robes, Petunia noticed the tension in Severus’ shoulders and the way his dark eyes kept darting around. Discreetly she gave the boy’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

She could easily guess the cause of his anxiety. Since their conversation about Pureblood ideals, Severus had opened to Petunia a lot more and recounted his various encounters and conversations with Purebloods. He had confided in her about his worries that there would be a war, and the rapid increase in the Dark Lord’s followers.

She was quite sure, he was worried about meeting someone he knew. Or more accurately, someone who believed in blood purity and might cause him trouble if he saw him walking with a girl whose clothes classed her clearly as Muggle. Also, she realized it might put her in danger as well. Severus hadn’t mentioned the risks for Muggles but she had a feeling that Voldemort’s followers could get pretty violent.

She glanced at the dark haired boy and caught the briefest flicker of a smile, which disappeared as quickly as it came. After a moment however, some of the tension in his shoulders seemed to vanish.

It didn’t take long for them to find the shop which specialized in gardening tools and magical plants. It was the latter, of course, which interested them, and they lost no time in going into the ‘plants’ section of the shop.

As they gazed at the rows of plants, Petunia felt the familiar feeling of excitement mixed with wonderment which usually came with the discovery of a previously unknown aspect of the wizarding world. Wherever, she looked were flowers of exotic colours or shape, some still, some moving, plants of varying degrees of safety and hers with astonishing properties. Every plant bore a simple parchment label, with its common and Latin name written in a curvy, rather feminine, script. Underneath was written the price of the plant. Petunia ignored those, as she still had difficulties understanding the worth of galleons and sickles compared to pounds.

After much deliberation, they chose three potted plants and purchased a few small bags of seeds to plant in the garden which all went into a paper bag which looked far too small to contain all of their purchases.

They had barely left the shop when a youthful voice called out to Severus. The dark haired boy tensed up at once and turned around cautiously, subtly placing himself in front of Petunia.

Petunia let him do so without protest. She certainly disliked being treated like a weak and fragile thing, but she understood perfectly well that this wasn’t a situation where she could afford to show her pride.

“Black.” acknowledged Severus as he laid eyes on the smaller dark haired boy who had caught up to them.

“Hello Severus.” answered the boy, his silver eyes lingering on Petunia and her Muggle outfit.

Severus’ gaze narrowed dangerously. The boy appeared to understand the implicit warning, as he casually turned his gaze to Severus and made no comment on the company he kept.

“Were you out shopping?” he enquired instead, sounding in no way as if he had seen anything shocking.

Petunia felt reassured by this and allowed herself to relax as she observed the boy. The name ‘Black’ was familiar but she was quite sure Severus hadn’t been the one to mention it. No. No, it had been Lily. Yes, that was it. Black was one James Potter’s friends. But surely that wasn’t the same person. Severus wouldn’t be addressing him so politely if he was.

While she was thinking about this, the two boys finished their exchange and before she knew it, ‘Black’ was saying his goodbyes, turning around and disappearing in the crowd. She turned a questioning gaze towards Severus.

“Regulus Black.” he muttered in answer to her silent enquiry. “A Slytherin a year below me.”

He sounded mildly displeased which led Petunia to believe this Regulus might be one of those extremist Purebloods.

“Do you think…?” she started asking but he cut her off by shaking his head.

“I don’t think he’ll say anything. If he does, I’ll lie and say you’re a witch from Beauxbatons.”

The girl nodded slowly. She supposed Bo-whatever was another wizarding school, she remembered Lily mentioning there were others.

Severus glanced around, worry evident in his eyes.

“We should go home.” he said, leading her away from the shops and away from potential danger.


	15. Third Summer: part four

At last the garden looked like a garden. After all the hard work they had put in it, it was unconceivable that Petunia and Severus would not take full advantage of it. Petunia especially had fallen in love with her little piece of paradise. She spent a lot of time outside now and had even managed to talk Severus into eating lunch outside once or twice. The boy also seemed satisfied by how it had all turned out. As Petunia had hoped, Severus tended to his Potions ingredients well and had learnt to appreciate the new space.

For a while, the almost disastrous encounter in Diagon Alley was forgotten. Completing the garden and the simple joy of being at home in a house that actually resembled one had distracted them from it. It was to be temporary however.

As they were sitting outside one afternoon, discussing Potions and the fifth year program that Severus would be starting in a month or so, an owl flew swooped down, landing next to Severus. The bird seemed to examine the dark haired boy haughtily before dropping an envelope at his feet. Severus didn’t take it immediately. He wasn’t used to getting letters, much less by owl post. The way he saw it, the owl’s arrival wasn’t a good sign.

He shook himself at last, and took the letter, breaking the seal and fishing out a folded parchment. He unfolded it quickly and let his eyes travel on the neat slightly slanted script, his brow furrowed. Sat beside him, Petunia waited in silence for him to finish. Though she was curious about the letter’s contents, she was too polite to try and read over his shoulder as Lily would no doubt have done. The thought amused her, distracting her for the few minutes it took for Severus to finish reading. Twice by the looks of it.

“It’s Regulus.” announced the dark haired boy at last.

The girl looked thoughtful as she tried to recall who Regulus was. The dark haired pureblood they had encountered in Diagon Alley soon floated to the front of her mind and her eyes flashed with worry.

“What does he say?” she asked, her tone betraying a hint of nervousness.

The boy sighed.

“He seems to be saying he won’t mention our meeting to anyone.”

“Seems to be?”

“Purebloods tend to be a bit roundabout so I can’t be absolutely sure, but he refers to you as a ‘witch’ so I’m guessing it’s his way of saying he won’t mention I was with a Muggle.”

Petunia nodded thoughtfully. Indeed that made sense. Especially considering she didn’t believe for one second the younger boy hadn’t guessed she was a Muggle. It had been obvious the way he’d looked at her.

“He also asks to meet me.”

Petunia looked at the boy sitting next to her. In a rare show of emotion, his features spoke of puzzlement and anxiety. Clearly, Severus had no idea why the other would want to meet him.

“Will you go?” she asked and placed her head gently on his shoulder, hoping to be of some reassurance.

“I don’t know.” answered the boy.

She could see his eyes reading the letter again, as if he was trying to detect a hidden message he would have previously missed.

“I suppose so.” he added at last. “I wouldn’t put it past him to blackmail me so it would probably save me a lot of trouble to just meet him.”

Petunia hummed softly in reply.

“Well, you had better write him an answer then.” she said at last, straightening herself and getting to her feet. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

She pressed a quick kiss to the boy’s lips and made her way back inside the house, giving Severus privacy to write his reply.

Left alone, the dark haired boy looked at the letter once more, his black eyes seeking a line in particular. _I wish to talk of a matter which will soon concern us both_ , had written Regulus. It was probably too soon for assumptions but Severus had an idea of what the matter in question was. Seeing as it followed a mention of Petunia as a ‘witch’ which she was clearly not, it led him to believe Regulus was referring to Voldermort. What was left was to know whether Regulus was a supporter or not. Either way, he doubted the Black heir would be upfront about it. He would have to play the game tactfully and stay on his guard.

On the day Severus went to meet Regulus, Petunia decided to go shopping. Though she usually went with Severus, as the bags could get a bit heavy, she decided she needed the distraction. Comparing meat prices was without doubt much healthier than worrying about things she couldn’t help. It didn’t however, stop her thinking about she _could_ help. And so her mind wandered towards the future.

The events of the summer and what she had learnt about the troubles of the wizarding world had put a dampener on her dreams of the future. She could see now that keeping her home with Severus was going to be a lot more challenging than she had thought it would be. It might even be dangerous. For her certainly, she understood that that Voldermort fellow wasn’t what one might call a pacifist, but also for Severus. She wasn’t stupid. She realized she wasn’t the one who was in immediate danger. It was Severus who would be on the front line. He would be starting fifth year at the end of the summer. So three more years amongst potential Death Eaters. It wouldn’t be easy for him to be one amongst them who didn’t agree with blood purity and whatever else Voldermort had on his agenda.

Forget agree with their views, he would be in serious trouble if it was revealed that he associated with a Muggle, namely her. Even worse, if they realized the full extent of their relationship. Perhaps, she thought gaze fixed on a bottle of milk, perhaps there would come a time when she it would be better for her to leave him. She suspected Severus wouldn’t do so of her own accord so it would fall to her to take the necessary steps. She hoped such a time would not come, but if it did she would do what was needed. She may not be a witch but she would protect him anyway. Whatever it took.


	16. Third Summer: final

Severus found it hard to determine if his meeting with Regulus had gone well or not. As expected, the younger boy had refrained from telling him anything of importance on his own opinions. He had hinted more than once that he would sooner or later be expected to take the Dark Mark, which wasn’t surprising in itself. The Black family, was an old pureblood family and they were known to be supportive of the Dark Lord’s views. The only new information was that according to what Severus had gathered, Regulus wouldn’t go against his parents.

Severus had reasons to believe that Regulus’ willingness to become a Death Eater wasn’t a matter of faith in the Dark Lord’s ideals. Though he hadn’t said anything on the subject, the pointed silence on the matter led Severus to think that the younger Slytherin wasn’t altogether supportive. But he wasn’t against them either. The only thing Regulus had been willing to say upfront was that there was nothing to gain from going against his parent’s will.

But Severus’ main concern and one he couldn’t begin to guess, was why Regulus had chosen to confide in him. Not that he had told him much, but the fact remained that he had asked to have that conversation with Severus for no reason he could figure out. He supposed it could have been a way to know where Severus stood, but in fact, very little had been said about Severus’ possible involvement in Death Eater matters. Not to say that Regulus hadn’t shown an interest, simply he hadn’t pressed and hadn’t seemed to think it was of great importance.

All in all, Severus had no idea what he was supposed to make of it. Petunia had been no help when they discussed it. Both of them were at a loss as to what they should think.

After discussing it, they had concluded the best course of action was simply to wait and see what Regulus’ next step would be, but there was no further sign of the boy that summer.

On the day before Severus’ departure, they said their goodbyes and unlike previous years, there was a tension in their embrace, a flash of worry in Petunia’s eyes. They were both conscious that things were moving independently of their own will. Somewhere outside, a Dark Lord and his followers were threatening the peace of their home. They were all too aware that anything could happen. It could be the last time and they both fervently prayed it wouldn’t be.

At last, it was time to part and as she turned to leave, Petunia felt a ball of anxiety settle in her throat.

For a while, it seemed their worries were unfounded. In his letters Severus told her that if Regulus had approached him, it was seemingly with only camaraderie in mind. No further mention of the Dark Lord had been made. Other students also showed no particular concern as to what they all knew was happening outside. It was relatively quiet.

When Severus came back for Christmas, it almost seemed like they could let their worries fade. The danger seemed far away. The winter festivities passed too quickly for their liking and after a last kiss they parted once more.

It was in the second half of that year that things started moving. Severus reported that the Daily Prophet, the wizarding newspaper, was publishing articles about murders of Muggles committed by Voldermort and his Death Eaters. Students at Hogwarts were also starting to be affected by it all. Slytherins were starting to be more open about their affiliations, at least in the privacy of their common room.

For now, Severus had managed to evade questions about his own beliefs. It was known he was halfblood and most of the pureblood extremists contended themselves with sneering at him and treating him as a lesser being. Regulus maintained their friendship but Severus mentioned the boy seemed to grow uneasy.

Petunia herself, though far away from the increasingly tense atmosphere of the wizarding world, grew worried and restless. Some nights she would wake up in a panic, breathing harshly and heart pounding wildly as she chased away the remnants of a nightmare.

Incidentally, rather than frightening her away from her relationship with Severus, the growing danger only made her more certain. She loved Severus. She would do anything it took to preserve their relationship. And if a time came where that became impossible, she would at least do anything in her power so that both of them would survive. After all, there would always be hope while they lived on. Even if they had to sacrifice their relationship for a time, as long as they lived they could be reunited.

When summer came along once again, with its warming days, her will had never been as strong. And so was her desire to see Severus. She tried to ignore that little of fear that it might be their last summer together. She tried to ignore the trembling of her hands as her gaze travelled over the boy’s pale figure, half-expecting to see injuries on him. She tried to ignore all of it, telling herself that everything would be fine. But somehow, she couldn’t quite believe it.


	17. Fourth Summer: part one

“We should do something.” Severus announced suddenly.

He was lying down in the garden in the shade, looking up at the blue sky overhead. The sound of light footsteps hushed by the bed of grass told him of Petunia’s approach.

“Such as?” she enquired, lowering herself to sit next to him.

He hummed in thoughts. He was not entirely what he was suggesting. The idea had just crossed his mind and he had felt like voicing it. Now that he thought about it, they had never really done anything together before which did not entail shopping or being at the house. They had gone out once for Christmas and gone in Diagon Alley together but that was all he could think of. It had never really bothered him before but now he wondered.

The more he thought about it the more it occupied his mind. He did not truly want to believe it, but chances were that they had little time left together. If that assumption was to prove true, would he not regret making the most of this summer? It was not like they were particularly trying to hide their relationship. Of course, circumstances forced them to exercise caution. He would not deny that Petunia’s parents disliked him intensely and he would not be surprised if they strongly opposed their relationship were they to find out about it. Not only that, but there was the rising force of Voldermort’s followers to take into account as well. Somehow, Regulus finding out had turned for the best but he was not so naïve as to believe it would happen this way with other purebloods.

He felt Petunia’s finger brushing a strand of dark hair away from his eyes and his gaze was attracted to her face. He was struck suddenly by how beautiful she looked like this, her calm blue eyes fixed on him and a gentle smile on her lips as strands of pale blond hair fell around her face. Absent-mindedly he reached up, curling his long fingers in a strand of her hair. A sudden impulse made him push himself up and pull her closer to him in order to kiss her.

When they broke apart he leant his head against her shoulder with his arms loosely wrapped around her. She gave a breathy laugh and started stroking his head.

“What’s gotten into you today?” she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

He did not answer immediately. Truthfully, he was not sure what to tell her. His friendship with Regulus allowed him to be privy to information which cast the future in grim light. He could hold her now but would it always be that way? He was starting to fear the future and at times he even resented the fact that they had been born into different worlds. But that, he would then think, was ludicrous because had it not been the case they may never have met. He would have been just another one of those Muggle children whom Lily would never have any reason to give a second glance too and without her sister paying attention to the scruffy boy Petunia would never have looked his way. It might have been different if Petunia had been a witch, but even then, their relationship would have been frowned upon.

He sighed into the girl’s shoulder before straightening himself.

“We could go to London for the day.” he suggested. “I don’t think I’ve ever been there.”

She peered at him under her lashes in a way that always made him wonder if she was trying to guess at his thoughts.

“We could. I know a few shops you might like.” she told him entwining her fingers with his. “We can take the train there. It wouldn’t take very long.”

They fell silent after that, relishing in their proximity and enjoying the languidness that came with the warm summer days that never failed to bring them together.


	18. Fourth Summer: part two

Their trip to London was a success all around. Petunia had been anxious at first, wondering if Severus would like the Muggle part of London. She had feared he was making a conscious effort to please her and would not enjoy himself as much as she certainly would. But hers fears had proven baseless as the boy had seemed to truly appreciate the old bookshop she brought him to. They had browsed the lines of ancient tomes for a while before retiring to a small coffee shop where they had sat idly chatting for the better part of an hour.

In retrospect, she could not say they had done much of anything during the day but that was part of the charm as well. Having an outing without purpose was something they scarcely done before and she had like the novelty of it. In fact, simply walking down unfamiliar streets, her hand in Severus’ was her favourite part of the experience. She had realized in the course of the outing that she had unconsciously stopped herself from doing certain things, such as holding hands, with Severus in public. Probably, a part of her still worried about gossip that could reach her parents’ ears. It was not that she was ashamed of her relationship with Severus. Simply, she feared – and most probably rightfully so – that her parents would disapprove of their relationship and in all likeliness lake it difficult for them to maintain it as it was. She certainly would not be allowed to spend her days at the young wizard’s house.

For this reason, being able to spend some time surrounded by strangers who could not possibly know who they were or how forbidden their relationship was, had been very liberating. She had felt relaxed in a place other than Spinner’s End for the first time in a long while.

Yes, it had been enjoyable. The less enjoyable part of the day had been when Lily had caught sight of them as they were leaving the train station. Out of the corner of her eye, Petunia had seen the younger girl’s expression morph from shock to confusion before becoming somewhat horrified. Petunia had hesitated for a moment. Should she walk on? Go to Lily? The feeling of Severus discreetly touching her hand stayed her.

“You’ll talk with her later.” Severus had said, glancing at her sideways.

Though her hesitations had not dispelled she had agreed and continued walking with the dark haired boy. She had walked home with him and spent another hour with Severus before leaving. By that point, as Severus had no doubt predicted, she felt much calmer than she had when she had noticed Lily looking at them. Anxiousness had initially made her angry and no doubt, had she gone to talk to her sister then, the discussion would have quickly gotten heated. She resolved to not let it be so, as she walked to the Evans’ home.

As she had expected, Lily was lying in wait. Though as any teenager, the red-haired girl was prone to spending most of her time in her room, she was idling in the sitting-room when Petunia came home. Deciding that she would rather the inevitable conversation took place in the privacy of her room, Petunia swiftly climbed up the stairs. As soon as the distinct sound of the door opening and shutting could be heard, sounds of movement started coming from the living room and Petunia could easily guess that she would soon be followed.

Once in her room, she listened attentively to the sound of footsteps that was coming from the stairs. When a moment later there was a sharp knock, Petunia was ready and she opened the door, stepping aside to let her sister in.

The red haired witch walked in the room, looking around as if she had never been in the neat space of Petunia’s intimacy. The older girl gently closed the door and went to sit at her desk, turning her body so as to face Lily who was still standing in the middle of the room.

“Was something the matter?” she asked a little stiffly.

Green eyes flashed in her direction as Lily rounded on her, every bit the angered harpy.

“I saw you.” she hissed. “With Snape.” she spat the name as if it was poisonous.

“I see. Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if you did.”

“Is that all you have to say?!” Lily screeched indignantly.

“Quite. What else would you have me say?” Petunia retorted placidly, completely impermeable to her sister’s outburst. “It is not so unusual for a girl to spend time with her boyfriend.”

“Boy…!” Lily echoed, choking on the word midway.

She gave a worried glance at the door as if suddenly worried that there were eavesdroppers. When she spoke again, her voice was quiet, almost a whisper. Petunia almost remarked with irritation that there was no need to imitate conspirators but she refrained. She had decided to be sensible and calm about this after all.

“You’re going out with HIM?! What do you think Mum and Dad would have to say about that?!”

Oh, so it was coming to this after all, thought Petunia as she turned her back to her sister, her gaze falling on her pastel blue desk.

“I’m sure they wouldn’t approve.” she said neutrally.

“Exactly! I don’t know what you were thinking….” Lily’s rant was cut short by Petunia’s intervention.

“He makes me happy.” she said firmly.

She turned to plant an unwavering gaze on her sister.

“He makes…” Lily repeated dumbly.

“Yes.” Petunia uttered with conviction. “He makes me happy. I couldn’t care less what you or our parents have to say about it. I…I know about your world Lily. I’m not stupid. I know what’s going on. It might be that we don’t have much time left together so…” her words became slightly strangled towards the end.

She took a deep breath.

“I won’t break up with him. That’s all I have to say to you. And it’s all I will have to say to Mum and Dad if they come to know about it.” she stated, resolutely turning her back to her sister once more, this time signalling the end of the conversation.

There was a long moment of silence. Then, there was the sound of muffled footsteps on the carpet and the gentle click of the door closing behind Lily. Petunia waited unmoving until she heard the door of her sister’s room close before letting her shoulders sag. She brushed a lone tear trailing down her cheek and buried her face in her hands, trying to push away the inevitable future looming ahead.


	19. Fourth Summer: part three

A few days after Lily had spotted them leaving the train station, there was still no sign of Mr and Mrs Evans knowing anything of their relationship. Though Petunia had told him she had discussed things with her sister, she had not told Severus of the precise nature of that conversation and Severus had not pressed. He felt that if the girl was keeping it from him it was because she did not feel like sharing certain things she had said. Severus respected that. He also knew that Petunia was painfully aware of how hazardous their situation was. In an ideal world, she would not have to worry about how much time left there was for them but this was not an ideal world. Though Severus would have preferred to keep her away from such fears, he would admit that it was better that she was aware of everything even though it may cause her pain. That, and Petunia was not the type of woman who would let anyone leave her in the dark concerning important matters. She was stronger than that. It was one of those things he loved about her after all.

He gazed at her across the room. She was busying herself in the kitchen and from where he sat in the sitting room, he could see her through the open door.

She was seventeen now, while he would be sixteen soon. Due to the difference in the legal system of the Muggle world and the wizarding world, they would become of age at the same time, despite the age difference. Had they been in a regular situation he would have probably prepared to give her an engagement ring the following summer. Unfortunately, it did not seem like a very viable idea at this time. Though he could not imagine himself married to anyone else, it was the sad reality that it was unlikely to happen in the years to come. In a moment of rebelliousness a few days before, he had pondered about leaving the country after graduation, taking Petunia with him. But he knew this was not possible.

Regulus had told him that recently Voldermort had started looking for a Potion Maker and as he could not find someone talented enough to suit his needs, he was now considering setting his sights on a wizard who was still a student. Much to Severus’ – and probably to Regulus’ as well though he hid his own anxieties well – Lucius Malfoy had started advertising Severus’ talent to the Dark Lord. The young Snape had not been particularly flattered to learn that Lucius Malfoy considered him a genius in Potions Making. In the first place, he had never liked the Malfoy scion much. Though he had built something of a friendship with Narcissa Black who was currently engaged to the man, the semblance of an alliance did not extend to her husband-to-be. And that aside, he could not be flattered when the compliments were paid in order to make him join the Dark Lord.

He let out a deep sigh which made Petunia, who was coming out of the kitchen, stare at him questioningly.

Suddenly craving the feeling of her body in his arms he got his feet and joined her. He knew he had been unusually clingy with the girl lately and he was painfully aware of the reason prompting this new desire for her. In fact, the desire itself was the problem. Kissing her and holding her was barely enough anymore, he wanted more. Yet, he was reluctant to push the girl further. He was not sure she was ready for it, for one thing and he did not want to rush her into anything.

This was why, he contented himself with holding her gently against him. He had not intended for the gesture to turn into anything else so he was pleasantly surprised when Petunia pressed herself even closer to him and lifted her face towards him clearly intending to be kissed. His lips quirked upwards and he readily obliged. It seemed he was not the only one who was becoming demanding with affection lately. Still, he felt that the line needed to be drawn somewhere and so after their lips parted he made to withdraw. He was gently but firmly stopped and with a sweet expression that looked painted with authority in his eyes, she planted her gaze in his.

“Severus.” was all she said but her tone said all he needed to know.

When he still did not move, more out of the worry that he was reading more into the situation than he should, she took his hand and pulled him with her out of the sitting room and up the stairs. By the time she pushed the door to his bedroom and led him inside, he felt confident that they both desired the same thing.

Making love to the girl was not as ridiculously passionate as one might believe. Even when the intimacy of their relationship reached its peak they stayed true to themselves. It was a moment of delicate touches and deep emotions and of course, the pleasure they took in it could not be denied. Still, Severus had never felt as satisfied as when they finally laid down on the bed, Petunia’s head resting on his torso. There was nothing like the simple warmth of her body pressed against his, the flowery scent of her hair which tickled his nose and more than anything the brightness of her pale blue gaze as she stared at him with half-lidded eyes, her fingers tracing his jaw absent-mindedly.

And as he lay there he found himself thinking of the Patronus he had finally managed to produce the past year, a serene doe of wispy white. He did no doubt who it represented.


	20. Fourth Summer: part four

Their summer days passed slowly and sweetly. Never had she felt so happy about following a mundane routine. She found new joy in everything. From cooking to shopping to cleaning, her mind could always make up something positive about it. She divided her time between maintaining the house and spending time with Severus. Though the two of them would often spend long hours brewing or discussing various Potion theories, they also had some time which they used to simply relax, or go on leisurely walks in the park where there lonely souls had first found their match. Petunia felt like she was fighting in her own way, against everything dark that grew in the world.

In truth, she had made up her mind. A brief correspondence with Regulus – who she had found to be a perfect gentleman – had informed of her of the near impossibility of maintaining a relationship with Severus in the future. She knew the young man was thinking about it too. He got this dark look on his face at times when he thought she was not looking, which told her that his thoughts had turned forward. She had banished all illusions about the future. Call her pessimistic, she called herself realistic.

Her conclusion was that she would make the most of her time with Severus now, in order to regret nothing later. She had gotten a hint of something in Severus’ attitude recently. Something that made her stomach twist in worry. She had a suspicion her Slytherin of a lover was starting to plan something – something which she would in all likeliness disapprove of. But the realization that their couple was doomed had made her adopt a new frame of mind, one in which she did not mind giving Severus the lee way he needed.

She was determined to be happy while she could and nothing would get in the way of that.

As it happened, the summer brought other surprises which concerned Severus very little. Indeed, Lily who had somehow warmed to James Potter in the course of the previous year, had decided to invite him and his little gang of friends – minus one as a certain Peter Pettigrew was abroad with his parents – to spend the day in Surrey.

In the name of their recent burying of the hatchet, Petunia had been cordially invited to meet them. She had not refused feeling that it might offend Lily if she did but she did not walk in the meeting with any particular joy.

Ironically enough, it had been decided that they would meet in the park which had become quite familiar to Petunia over the years. Though she went there without apprehension as she had no doubt she would dislike the boys Lily was introducing her to, Petunia had a moment of hesitation when she saw the trio.

Though two of them – one of whom she expected would prove to be James Potter – looked every bit the popular boys that Petunia ordinarily could not abide, the third appeared more approachable. His hair had this air of attempted neatness which had quite failed, a few strands of tawny brown sticking out at odd angles. Despite the impressive scar marring his face, the boy looked friendly and gave an impression of quiet gentleness about him. Instantly, Petunia felt that she wouldn’t dislike him as much as the others. If at all.

She diverted her gaze to the brown haired boy wearing round glasses who was introduced to her as James Potter by her sister. The blond girl immediately disapproved of the general scruffiness of the character. His hair was untidy, his glasses were crooked and his clothes looked like they had been left lying on the floor for weeks before he had put them on. They probably had.

“And this is Sirius Black.” continued Lily oblivious to the dubiousness in her sister’s gaze as she scrutinized the Potter boy.

This caught Petunia’s attention and she turned to the second popular boy, frowning slightly. So there had indeed been another Black, aside from Regulus. Taking in the dark hair and finely chiselled features she had to wonder if they were brothers. Though her first impression of Sirius Black was reluctantly favourable – he was much better kept than Potter – her opinion of the youth went down drastically when he opened his mouth. In a matter of seconds, she grew convinced that he and Potter had one thing in common: they were in dire need of growing up.

In the course of the conversation that followed it became clear that Potter looked down on her. He did not say anything in particular to that effect but it was in the way he looked at her. The flash of disdain and at times pity when he looked her over in an impossibly rude manner. Black no so much. She suspected the boy simply did not care much for her and thus did not truly pay her attention.

The only one who seemed to have at least a slight interest in her person was Remus Lupin, who if she doubted he liked her by the end of their brief encounter, at least made an effort to ask her about herself and include her in the conversation. They had a moment of true understanding when Remus mentioned Potions, before turning self-consciously and apologizing for bringing up something she might not be familiar with, but she waved away his doubts and with a smile as faint as it was genuine, encouraged him to pursue the subject, as indeed she explained to him she had read on Potions before.

In the end, it appeared that the both of them had been abandoned to their own conversation by the three others which was probably for the best as Sirius’ inane commentary irked her more than she showed. When it was time to part ways, Petunia was glad to say that if she had not made any new friends, the day had not been a complete waste of her time. And when Lily asked her uncertainly what she thought about the boys, Petunia was glad to tell her that she thought Remus Lupin was a charming young man. The way Lily’s face fell slightly before becoming resigned confirmed Petunia’s suspicions that her sister had wanted her opinion on James Potter, but as it was clear to her that Lily fancied him, Petunia had deemed it more diplomatic to remain silent on the subject as she nothing nice to say about him.

The day after, she found herself asking Severus if Potter was one of those Pureblood extremist thinkers, to which Severus chuckled. According to severus it was quite the opposite, as the Potters were considered very open-minded in matters of Muggles and Muggle-borns. For her part Petunia remained unconvinced and was in future times to always associate James Potter to that disdainful look he had made generous use during their meeting.


	21. Fourth Summer: final

As the last days of August came to pass, the time to part for the duration of the school year arrived once more. As per their usual pattern, the goodbyes were both brief and accompanied with promises of correspondence. This time, Severus offered the solemn promise to return for the Christmas holidays as he could see in the girl’s gaze that she needed the reassurance that he would not abruptly disappear from her life. This took place the eve of his departure and when he left Spinner’s End, it was an empty house he was leaving behind, Petunia being busy with her sister also leaving home for Hogwarts. He took this opportunity to take in the familiar surroundings which had changed so much from the time the house had been but a poor excuse for a home.

Now, the times when he had hated the dark and filthy house were far away, as was the grim image of Spinner’s End. In recent years, Petunia’s active contribution had made this house into a haven he disliked leaving when Autumn came. Although the house would not appear quite such a warm place without the girl there. Indulging on a short trip down memory lane, Severus walked in all the different parts of the house, recollecting various moments of their happiness and fervently praying to whatever force lived out there that it would not be the last of it. He finished by going into the garden, gazing fondly at the bed of sky blue petunias he had insisted on when they had been choosing the plants.

He left at last, gut twisting with a sad premonition, when he locked the door behind him. He forced himself to ignore it, trying to pretend he had not been planning his ultimate separation with Petunia during those last months. It was not that he wished to part with her in such a definite manner. Truly not. But Regulus had been reporting the Dark Lord’s growing interest in talent and he felt that he must be ready. It had torn him apart to make the preparations, just thinking of it made him ill but he had done what had to be done. Just as he always did.

There would be steps he would need to take during the school year to ensure that his plans would go smoothly if the time came when he must put it into motion. He was counting on Regulus’ help for this. The younger boy seemed to understand at least in part what sort of connection he had with Petunia and Severus was aware that the two had gotten into contact briefly. The visible result being that Regulus’ looks of pity had intensified during their few meetings during the summer vacation. It seemed his girlfriend had made a good impression on the Pureblood.

Not that it was going to matter much in the long run, he thought bitterly. But at least, it had prompted the other Slytherin to look into more detail the process Severus wished to use, in an effort to make it the least damaging for Petunia. Severus had not wanted to do anything that could hurt Petunia but at last they had found a safe way to complete the process.

When they had been finalizing their research and it had become clear through Regulus’ observations that it was likely to be used, the younger boy had asked Severus, in a way which made it difficult to refuse, to warn him when he did it. _I will be there_ , he had said. Never mind that he might very well have much more important things to do, had thought Severus, before chiding himself mentally for sounding so ungrateful to someone who had just made him the greatest show of friendship one could make. It had been that day that Regulus truly registered in his mind as his ‘best friend’, though the inner title had never been voiced and most likely never would be. It was simply not the Slytherin way.

In any case, his plans were ready and he had someone who would have his back no matter what happened, which was always a comforting thought, so the only left for him to do was to reconcile with the idea that Petunia would not be a part of his foreseeable future.

The task appeared impossible. No matter how much he told himself that once it was all over – if it ever was and if Voldermort somehow died – he would go back to Petunia’s side, he still felt a wave of sickness every time he thought of what he would have to do. He had spent restless nights envisioning all the possibilities that would allow him to escape this, but alas none was feasible.

It did not help either that there was no one in his admittedly limited entourage who could comfort him in his decision. Though Regulus had been a good friend and would continue to be, it was clear the boy also wished Severus could do differently. For what it was worse, the boy respected Petunia, and more than that he valued her for what she brought to Severus. In his Slytherin way, Regulus saw Petunia as someone who was needed by Severus and it was not in his nature to get rid of something that was still useful.

It was therefore with a heavy heart that Severus greeted the sight of the crimson train. When he sat in an empty compartment and shut the door to gain a semblance of privacy, he let his shoulders sag in an almost defeated way.

The time to be idle was regretfully over and his only wish at that precise moment was that he could hold Petunia once more.  


	22. Winter of the End

A grim irony made it so that the time when Voldermort formerly invited – which was to say ordered – him to join his ranks, coincided with the Christmas holiday. Thanks to a tactful play on Severus’ part he managed to postpone the meeting with the Dark Lord to sometime after the vacation. The reasons he had told the Dark Lord did not hold any sort of resemblance to the actual reason why he had wanted to rescue the holiday from the man’s influence: he did not want to hold Petunia with a tainted arm. And it was still untainted that he was welcomed by the woman he loved with everything he had.

The few days he allowed himself to rejoice in her presence and embrace were both blissful and painful to him. He knew she knew something was going on, though there was no way she could know what Severus was preparing to do. But she must have felt his desperation for she answered his passion with her own. It might have been uncharacteristic of them but they were past the point where they could have cared.

Christmas day was happy and bitter all at once. Severus gave Petunia a beautifully carved glass vial that was normally meant to contain a Potion but he had left it empty as it could interfere with his plans if Petunia could associate it to something magical later on. He was glad she had made a habit of leaving the Potion kit he had given her some years ago in the basement of the Spinner’s End house. At least, it would be safely hidden there.

For his part Severus received a handsome stopwatch. Petunia had apparently heard from Regulus that it was customary for a wizard to be given a watch for his coming of age. The object had immediately made its place as Severus’ most treasured possession. It was with him when he firecalled Regulus to let him know that he would be doing the deed the following day.

It was still with him when he slipped the Potion in Petunia’s tea that night and brought it to the sitting room where she was sitting pensively. She accepted the cup with a smile and he felt a pang of guilt as he watched her sip the hot beverage slowly. The Potion took effect when she had drunk about half of it. As she collapsed on herself her body going limp, she directed a resigned smile to her lover and made to bend towards him as if to kiss him but passed out halfway. Severus was just quick enough to catch her and retrieve the cup before the liquid spilt.

Regulus knocked on the door just as he was pushing her onto the sofa, rearranging her limbs so that she would be more comfortable.

The young boy said nothing when Severus allowed him inside the house and he continued to remain silent even when he saw Petunia passed out on the couch. He simply prepared himself to assist Severus in his task should the other need it.

Extracting Petunia’s memories of Severus was a long and tedious process. Memories had to be selected carefully, others had to be altered ever so slightly so that no suspicion would arise. Thankfully the Potion he had given her left her mind free and unguarded. It made it much easier for him to take out memories without damaging her mind. He was anxious at first, as memory alteration could be dangerous on Muggles, but the process went on smoothly.

When he was finally done, he collapsed on an armchair physically and emotionally drained. It was Regulus who took care of getting Petunia back to her home, unseen and unheard. She would wake up the following morning as if nothing had ever happened. As if she had never known the boy called Severus Snape, other than those few times she had been with Lily when they were children.

For long hours that night, Severus sat in mournful silence, eyes lost far away. Regulus was a comforting presence that disappeared in the morning.

Later that day, a knock sounded on the door and for a wild moment Severus thought it was Petunia, having somehow retained her memories. But when he opened the door, it was Lily Evans standing on his porch. She did not try to come in. She simply stared at him, her eyes rimmed with red.

“What did you do?” she asked.

There was no question of who she was talking about.

“I made her forget.” he answered, his throat dry and his voice broken. “Everything about me.”

She closed her eyes for a moment. He thought she would cry. She did not. When she opened her green eyes once more, it was to place a gaze on him that guessed more than it should.

“What are you going to do?” she demanded.

It was clear she was asking what had brought on this drastic step he had taken. What was he about to do that had made him do this to her sister?

He gazed at her, his dark eyes haunted and haggard.

“I’m going to survive.” he told her, but he already sounded like a dead man.

He closed the door then, shutting out the light and burying himself in the darkness of the cold house.

In the days that followed he worked on his mind. He had heard the rumours of the Dark Lord’s gift for Legilimency and so he had built protections, layers of shields to protect the image of this beautiful girl he cherished still.

Summer never came that year. Not when he left Hogwarts and went back to a place which barely felt like home. Not when the days grew warmer. Not when the Dark Lord Voldermort branded him with the Dark Mark, an ugly taint on his pale arm.

Summer never came that year, nor did it come any year after this.


	23. Eternal Summer

He died during summer. He had spent so many years as a hardened soldier with no home to go back to that he had almost forgotten the warmth the season brought about.

But as he lay dying in an obscure shack, so far from everything he had ever loved he found himself recalling those days. He remembered his love and he remembered his friend. That friend who had stood with through fire and high water and who he had failed to help at the most crucial of times. He had lost the only true friend he had ever had and soon after, when Voldermort had first disappeared thus ending the first war, he had lost his one love forever. Oh, he had gone back to her. But she was gone already. His Petunia was nowhere to be seen in that woman who had married some Muggle and raised the Potter scion in the worst way possible. He had to admit to himself as he watched from afar that he had lost her that day, all those years ago. That one night when he had stolen their time from her. When he had robbed her of her summers.

And in turn, she had cursed him to never know summer again. Or perhaps he had cursed himself.

A cough rattled his body. With a trembling hand, he lifted his wand and muttered a Patronus. His faithful, most beloved doe, appeared. This was all he had left. The delicate and serene animal the only proof that those days had existed. Once he was gone, those summers would fall into oblivion. He did not care truly. He only hoped he would meet Petunia wherever he was going.

He barely heard the voice of that dratted Potter brat, barely felt those hands trying to anchor him to life. He was going. Nothing could keep him. He was leaving now. Towards his eternal summer.

* * *

 

As a man stopped breathing in a beat up shack in Scotland, a woman in a posh house in Cokeworth stilled in her movements. In her mind, a magic that had been set years before was slowly fading, allowing memories long forgotten to stream back into her consciousness. The cutlery she was holding fell to the floor with a loud clatter.

It was Petunia as she used to be who collapsed into tears, fingers clawing at her face in grief, a great scream tearing out her throat. Then, the last memory came. She saw herself filling a beautifully carved vial with a Potion and later carefully storing it in her jewellery box. With a hollow smile she went up to her room and dug out the box. She retrieved the vial and held it up to her eyes.

Now she understood why Lily always asked her in a tight voice if Vernon really made her happy. And she knew why she could never tell that yes he did. Because simply he did not. He did not make her happy. He made her feel settled. But Severus had never made her feel settled. No. _Severus_ had made her happy.

She uncapped the vial and drained its contents. Just as Severus had once taken steps to ensure their survival, she had taken some to ensure that they would be together. Even if it was in Heaven.

The Potion took effect and she felt herself slipping in unconsciousness, falling to the ground with a loud thump. She closed her eyes and started dreaming.

* * *

 

_She was an ideal world and Severus had graduated without mishaps. They had gotten married much to her parents’ disapproval. Lily however, had been surprisingly supportive. Three years later, their first child had been born. Madeleine Snape took after her father. She was pale skinned girl with hair and eyes as dark as ink. Her brother, Hadrian, born two years after her was much the same way, though his eyes were of the same blue as Petunia._

_While Hadrian proved early on to take after his parents in terms of personality – calm and reserved – his sister was an eccentric and outgoing girl whose stubbornness could prove quite tiring. It was in the midst of such a show of wilfulness that she did her most impressive bout of accidental magic and turned her hair to a cerulean blue. Though her father initially believed her hair would grow black and she would eventually be rid of the blue colour, it turned out that she had somehow managed to overwrite her original hair colour and the shade of blue remained with her for the rest of her life. Luckily enough, she was to be fond of it even in her older years._

_Severus and Petunia wondered for a while if Hadrian would continue to take after his mother and prove to be a Muggle but he turned out to be magical as well and made a fine Slytherin when he made his way at Hogwarts._

* * *

 

As the ambulance a neighbour had called upon hearing Petunia’s scream arrived at her door, Petunia’s dream started fading and she drew her last breath.

Far away, a blonde girl of seventeen with doe-like eyes joined a young man with shoulder-length inky black hair and together they walked into the Eternal Summer.


End file.
